Winter Practice Blues

I think all of us who live up north, I'm in New York, go through the same thing. Your swing will return faster than you think come spring, at least mine does. I for one hit the range every weekend regardless of how cold it is, even into the 20s. Our range has heaters but even so, it is cold. If it is snowing, like the blizzard we had last weekend, I don't go to the range but instead head to Golfsmith and hit there, beside you get to try all the new gear. I also take lessons in the winter to work out the bugs I picked up during the season. So I guess what I'm saying is I try everything I can to keep my swing up, but it does decay no question about it. It usually take me a couple of rounds in the spring to get back in the swing of things.

One local driving range has a golf simulator that is great.   I've joined their league and play once per week.   I also hit the driving range once per month.   I'm also going to start taking yoga classes to help with the flexibility.   I've noticed that each winter, I'm less mobile.

I use to hate the coming of winter but now I actually welcome it. The winter is my much needed mental break from the game as well as my time to work hard on fundamentals and mechanics. I usually get in my last round of the year around Thanksgiving. From Thanksgiving to New Years day I put the clubs away. No matter what level you play at I think it's a good idea to take a 5-7 week break from the game every year to mentally recharge the batteries. From NewYears to the end of March I begin my work preparing for the upcoming season. Basically I hit the local golf dome once a week working on full swing mechanics. I have a weighted club that I swing at home for 10 minutes a day, and I have a putting area in my basement where I work on putts from the 20 to 5 foot range two to three days a week.

As I said before this practice time is dedicated to just basic fundamentals and I usually come out of the gate in April and May shooting some of the lowest rounds of the year in those first couple months. Probably because I'm mentally fresh, eager to play, and my swing is in top form. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by cooke119 

I think all of us who live up north, I'm in New York, go through the same thing. Your swing will return faster than you think come spring, at least mine does. I for one hit the range every weekend regardless of how cold it is, even into the 20s. Our range has heaters but even so, it is cold. If it is snowing, like the blizzard we had last weekend, I don't go to the range but instead head to Golfsmith and hit there, beside you get to try all the new gear. I also take lessons in the winter to work out the bugs I picked up during the season. So I guess what I'm saying is I try everything I can to keep my swing up, but it does decay no question about it. It usually take me a couple of rounds in the spring to get back in the swing of things.

I'm a half hour NW of DC.  I find a covered driving range with heaters.  Actually, if its above 30, or so and dry, I'll even use the outdoor mats.  I find that as long as I wear a ski cap I can get warm enough after a few swings.  

I'll even play a round as long as the ground isn't frozen--its not much fun to play off a rock solid ground, and balls fly off the green.  I just walk to keep warm.  

Quote:

Originally Posted by ORazor 

Where is this covered range near DC? I'd love to go...

Well I'm out around the other side of DC, so I go to Olney Golf Park, but that's a hike from Alexandria.  East Potomac Park/Haines Point has a covered range.  I'm not sure if its heated, though.

Edit: Looks like they are covered and heated.  I work in DC, that might be even better for me than Olney:  http://www2.cybergolf.com/sites/courses/layout11.asp?id=691&page=39670

Quote:

Originally Posted by divot dave 

 

Sounds like a great routine. The golf dome is an enviable commodity. I'm really surprised we don't have one here in the philadelphia/southern Nj area, that would really help. 

 

Question for you: Do you recall what it was like when you were a beginner... making the adjustment from those winter months?

Hey Dave,

I started in the game at age 9 back in 1975. Growing up in Michigan, winter time was really the hardest because as a kid all I wanted to do was play golf. The biggest problem though was(this is going to sound like one of those "we walked up hill to school both ways",,lol) there were no heated ranges, golf domes, internet(to share or recieve instruction/tips), and very very few people owned a video camera. Pretty much all the tools I use today to keep my swing going in the winter were non-exsistant.

So what did I do? I read a lot of instruction books and golf magazines. Anything and everything I could get my hands on. There was no place to put up a golf net(another item very few people had) in the house so I would stand in front of a full length mirror and practice my swing over and over mostly in slow motion or half speed trying to replicate the positions I needed to be in. Sometimes I would swing a weighted club as well and I would putt to a glass cup in my bedroom. Obviously as a kid I had other interests back then but golf was #1 and I would work on my game 3-4 days a week for about an hour. There was definitely a little more rust on my game back then coming out of winter than there is today but doing just a little each week still helped my game no doubt!

As others have suggested I would take a couple lessons and work on your swing when you can. At a minimum get your swing on video and post it here in the swing section if you haven't already done that. There's some really good instructors here at the Sand Trap as well as a lot of other knowledgable guy's that can give you some tips to keep you busy all winter long. Like I said I welcome the winter break nowadays because it's a time where I can really just focus on mechanics/fundamentals and not worry at all about scoring. I think in the summer when players take lessons or work on swing changes they want to rush out and take it to the course before it's fully ingrained. Winter time here in Upstate NY your not taking anything to the course unless you like playing in 2 feet of snow,,,lol!

I too struggle with this. I went to the range a month ago and I only made good contact about 5 times, out of a bucket of 75 balls. 

Sure hope everything returns to normal, I made great progress last year.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dsc123 

 

Well I'm out around the other side of DC, so I go to Olney Golf Park, but that's a hike from Alexandria.  East Potomac Park/Haines Point has a covered range.  I'm not sure if its heated, though.

 

Edit: Looks like they are covered and heated.  I work in DC, that might be even better for me than Olney:  http://www2.cybergolf.com/sites/courses/layout11.asp?id=691&page=39670

Hi, If you are in the Centreville area (western edge of the burbs) there are covered (and heated) driving range bays at Virginia Golf Center. It's at Braddock and Clifton roads.

I have begun working on my fitness, remember the core, dosent take as much time as you would think.  Jump some rope.   There is always time to practice putting indoors, 4 footers ...can you do 10 in a row, how about 15????  Anyone who shoots 100 needs putting improvement.  I swing in my living room , ceilings are high enough to do full wedges...and flat drivers.  Super slow swings...how slow can you go ?

I'm in Reading, not too far from you. I do a lot of the things mentioned here as far as swinging at home and exercise. I do think that sometimes my tempo kinda gets thrown off at home. Like I rush a bit. I hit the range Friday and hit balls for the first time in about a month. The first 12 or so were just bad. But once I slowed my tempo down a bit and really swung the club (like you I probably hold back a little at home so I son't somehow break anything) I hit them really well.